Philippines: Smuggled vegetables from China test positive for pesticides and heavy metals

Published 2024년 9월 7일

Tridge summary

A report by Bernadette Reyes on 24 Oras Weekend has revealed that tons of smuggled produce from China, stored in a Navotas City warehouse since August, have failed safety tests. The produce, which included carrots, tomatoes, and onions, were found to contain lead and E.coli, exceeding safe limits. Additionally, they were contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has urged consumers to wash these vegetables thoroughly before cooking to avoid health risks. The smuggled goods also lacked the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance, raising concerns about their source and production methods. BPI has warned against purchasing smuggled commodities, emphasizing the lack of safety assurances from the exporting country.

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Original content

Several tons of smuggled produce from China have tested positive for lead and E.coli contamination. According to a ''24 Oras Weekend'' report by Bernadette Reyes on Saturday, the vegetables, seized from a warehouse in Navotas City in August, had no sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. “Hindi ito dumaan sa tamang proseso kaya hindi natin alam kung paano siya pinroduce or kung saan siya galing talaga,” said Bureau of Plant Industry Plant Product Safety Division chief William Mugot. (These didn’t go through the right process, so we don’t know how they were produced or where they really came from.) Further testing of the produce showed that it was contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals, which are dangerous to the consumer’s health. Carrots were found with lead past the maximum limit, while tomatoes and onions were found to have high traces of E.coli, which indicate possible contamination from human or animal excrement. “Kalimitan, 'yung heavy metals tulad ng lead ay ...

Source: Gmanetwork